Hi all- sorry to bump an old thread, but I'm wondering if this question/issue ever got resolved?

I know the first print of this edition of The Hobbit was like 4,000, so is there any way to tell the difference between the later printings? Most the stuff I see is shrinkwrapped (as mentioned above), so just curious if anyone knows. Thanks in advance for any replies!

I suppose since this is my first post, a brief introduction is in order. I’m a Tolkien fan from Indianapolis, Indiana and have been a super novice collector off and on for over 6 years (as my wallet allows). At this point, I’ve decided to focus only on copies of The Hobbit, for sentimental and budgetary reasons. I’m pretty much hooked, though you wouldn’t know it from the looks of my meager collection.

I’ve been a lurker on these forums for probably 5 years. I am exceedingly thankful for the wealth of knowledge that is shared here, and a small note expressing my thanks is long overdue. So, thanks to all of you who contribute.

My reason for this post stems from frustration over not being able to pre-order the new Deluxe edition of The Hobbit (Catlin illustrated), since I’m from the US. This is actually the first time I've wanted to order directly from the publisher. I’m guessing this happens more frequently than I’m aware, and am wondering what others in my situation do to remedy this. Am I destined to scour online auctions for the next few years, hoping to find one at cost? Any workarounds on this that I don’t know about?

If it comes to it, I’ll enjoy the hunt. Just thought I’d ask here to see if anyone else has had to deal with this type of issue. Either way, thanks again for all content on these forums!